perf(scene): multi-resolution mesh LOD (Phase 3.4)

ACIS SAT entities (Solid3D / Region / Body) were tessellated at one
fixed sampling density (CIRC_SEGS=48, GRID_U=32, GRID_V=16) regardless
of how far they were from the camera. Distant solids paid the full
triangle bill for fragments that mostly resolved to sub-pixel size.

Generate three pre-built LODs per entity at load time:

  * LOD 0 (HIGH)  — 48/32/16 segments. Use above 200 px projected diag.
  * LOD 1 (MID)   — 24/16/8.  Use 50–200 px.
  * LOD 2 (LOW)   — 12/8/4.   Use below 50 px.

Tessellation cost is paid 3× on load (cheap — typical files have few
solids). Render picks per-frame via `compute_mesh_lod` from each mesh's
`world_aabb` projected diagonal. When a level is missing (e.g. a solid
entity that only emits LOD 0), the selector walks down to the nearest
available slot.

API ripples:
  * New `LodConfig` (HIGH/MID/LOW) drives `tess_sat`, `tess_cone_face`,
    `tess_sphere_face`, `tess_torus_face`.
  * `tessellate_solid3d / _region / _body` now return `MeshLodSet`.
  * `MeshLodSet { lods: Vec<MeshModel>, world_aabb }` + `from_single`
    constructor so interactive truck-based commands (BOX/CYLINDER/etc.)
    that only generate one tessellation stay one-line.
  * GPU side gets `MeshLodGpu { lods: Vec<MeshGpu>, world_aabb }` and
    a `mesh_lod_levels` per-frame index vector.
  * STL/STEP export pulls slot 0 explicitly so the on-disk geometry
    isn't downgraded by the view-dependent ladder.

Background-thread lazy generation (per the roadmap) is deferred — the
synchronous eager build is fine for typical CAD files. Switch to a
queue + background tessellator when files with hundreds of solids
become a load-time bottleneck.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.7 <[email protected]>

src/app/cmd_result.rs

@@ -1066,7 +1066,7 @@ impl H7CAD {
                     let color = [0.6f32, 0.6, 0.8, 1.0]; // default colour; command embedded it
                     let _ = color; // color is captured inside mesh_fn
                     if let Some(mesh) = mesh_fn(name) {
-                        self.tabs[i].scene.meshes.insert(handle, mesh);
+                        self.tabs[i].scene.meshes.insert(handle, crate::scene::MeshLodSet::from_single(mesh));
                     }
                     self.tabs[i].dirty = true;
                     self.command_line.push_output("Solid created.");
@@ -1126,7 +1126,7 @@ impl H7CAD {
                         let new_entity = empty_solid3d();
                         let new_handle = self.tabs[i].scene.add_entity(new_entity);
                         mesh.name = format!("{}", new_handle.value());
-                        self.tabs[i].scene.meshes.insert(new_handle, mesh);
+                        self.tabs[i].scene.meshes.insert(new_handle, crate::scene::MeshLodSet::from_single(mesh));
                         self.tabs[i].dirty = true;
                         self.command_line.push_output("EXTRUDE: solid created.");
                     } else {
@@ -1201,7 +1201,7 @@ impl H7CAD {
                         let new_entity = empty_solid3d();
                         let new_handle = self.tabs[i].scene.add_entity(new_entity);
                         mesh.name = format!("{}", new_handle.value());
-                        self.tabs[i].scene.meshes.insert(new_handle, mesh);
+                        self.tabs[i].scene.meshes.insert(new_handle, crate::scene::MeshLodSet::from_single(mesh));
                         self.tabs[i].dirty = true;
                         self.command_line
                             .push_output(&format!("REVOLVE: solid created ({:.0}°).", angle_deg));
@@ -1359,7 +1359,7 @@ impl H7CAD {
                     let new_entity = empty_solid3d();
                     let new_handle = self.tabs[i].scene.add_entity(new_entity);
                     mesh.name = format!("{}", new_handle.value());
-                    self.tabs[i].scene.meshes.insert(new_handle, mesh);
+                    self.tabs[i].scene.meshes.insert(new_handle, crate::scene::MeshLodSet::from_single(mesh));
                     self.tabs[i].dirty = true;
                     self.command_line.push_output("SWEEP: solid created.");
                 } else {
@@ -1443,7 +1443,7 @@ impl H7CAD {
                     let new_entity = empty_solid3d();
                     let new_handle = self.tabs[i].scene.add_entity(new_entity);
                     mesh.name = format!("{}", new_handle.value());
-                    self.tabs[i].scene.meshes.insert(new_handle, mesh);
+                    self.tabs[i].scene.meshes.insert(new_handle, crate::scene::MeshLodSet::from_single(mesh));
                     self.tabs[i].dirty = true;
                     self.command_line.push_output(&format!(
                         "LOFT: solid created from {} profiles.",

src/app/update.rs

@@ -382,8 +382,15 @@ impl H7CAD {
             Message::StlExportPath(Some(path)) => {
                 // Re-build STL bytes (we can't easily pass them through the message).
                 let i = self.active_tab;
-                let meshes: Vec<crate::scene::mesh_model::MeshModel> =
+                // STL gets the highest-resolution LOD (slot 0) so the
-                    self.tabs[i].scene.meshes.values().cloned().collect();
+                // exported geometry isn't downgraded by the view-dependent
+                // mesh LOD ladder used for rendering.
+                let meshes: Vec<crate::scene::mesh_model::MeshModel> = self.tabs[i]
+                    .scene
+                    .meshes
+                    .values()
+                    .filter_map(|s| s.lods.first().cloned())
+                    .collect();
                 let mesh_refs: Vec<&crate::scene::mesh_model::MeshModel> = meshes.iter().collect();
                 match crate::io::stl::build_stl(&mesh_refs) {
                     Some(bytes) => match std::fs::write(&path, bytes) {
@@ -428,8 +435,13 @@ impl H7CAD {
 
             Message::StepExportPath(Some(path)) => {
                 let i = self.active_tab;
-                let meshes: Vec<crate::scene::mesh_model::MeshModel> =
+                // Export uses LOD 0 (full resolution); see StlExportPath above.
-                    self.tabs[i].scene.meshes.values().cloned().collect();
+                let meshes: Vec<crate::scene::mesh_model::MeshModel> = self.tabs[i]
+                    .scene
+                    .meshes
+                    .values()
+                    .filter_map(|s| s.lods.first().cloned())
+                    .collect();
                 let mesh_refs: Vec<&crate::scene::mesh_model::MeshModel> = meshes.iter().collect();
                 match crate::io::step::build_step(&mesh_refs) {
                     Some(text) => match std::fs::write(&path, text.as_bytes()) {
@@ -490,7 +502,10 @@ impl H7CAD {
                         let entity = empty_solid3d();
                         let handle = self.tabs[i].scene.add_entity(entity);
                         if !handle.is_null() {
-                            self.tabs[i].scene.meshes.insert(handle, mesh);
+                            self.tabs[i]
+                                .scene
+                                .meshes
+                                .insert(handle, crate::scene::MeshLodSet::from_single(mesh));
                             self.tabs[i].dirty = true;
                             self.command_line.push_output(&format!(
                                 "IMPORTOBJ: imported \"{}\" as mesh.",

src/scene/mesh_model.rs

@@ -26,3 +26,50 @@ impl MeshModel {
     pub const WHITE: [f32; 4] = [1.00, 1.00, 1.00, 1.0];
     pub const SELECTED: [f32; 4] = [0.15, 0.55, 1.00, 1.0];
 }
+
+/// Bundle of mesh tessellations at different sampling densities, picked
+/// per frame by the render pipeline based on the projected pixel size of
+/// `world_aabb`. Phase 3.4 LOD ladder:
+///
+/// | LOD | Source     | Use when projected diagonal |
+/// |-----|------------|------------------------------|
+/// | 0   | HIGH       | > 200 px                     |
+/// | 1   | MID (½)    | 50–200 px                    |
+/// | 2   | LOW (¼)    | < 50 px                      |
+///
+/// `lods` holds up to one MeshModel per LOD level (high → low). Empty
+/// slots fall back to the nearest available LOD at render time.
+#[derive(Clone, Debug)]
+pub struct MeshLodSet {
+    pub lods: Vec<MeshModel>,
+    /// World XY AABB `[min_x, min_y, max_x, max_y]` of the mesh — used
+    /// by the per-frame LOD selector to compute the projected pixel
+    /// diagonal.
+    pub world_aabb: [f32; 4],
+}
+
+impl MeshLodSet {
+    /// Wrap a single MeshModel as a one-LOD set. Used by interactive
+    /// commands that only produce one tessellation (e.g. truck-based
+    /// BOX/CYLINDER creation). The LOD selector will pick slot 0 for
+    /// every zoom level.
+    pub fn from_single(mesh: MeshModel) -> Self {
+        let mut min_x = f32::INFINITY;
+        let mut min_y = f32::INFINITY;
+        let mut max_x = f32::NEG_INFINITY;
+        let mut max_y = f32::NEG_INFINITY;
+        for &[x, y, _] in &mesh.verts {
+            if !x.is_finite() || !y.is_finite() {
+                continue;
+            }
+            if x < min_x { min_x = x; }
+            if y < min_y { min_y = y; }
+            if x > max_x { max_x = x; }
+            if y > max_y { max_y = y; }
+        }
+        Self {
+            lods: vec![mesh],
+            world_aabb: [min_x, min_y, max_x, max_y],
+        }
+    }
+}

src/scene/mod.rs

@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ use camera::Camera;
 pub use camera::Projection;
 pub use hatch_model::HatchModel;
 pub use image_model::ImageModel;
+pub use mesh_model::MeshLodSet;
+#[allow(unused_imports)]
 pub use mesh_model::MeshModel;
 pub use object::{GripApply, GripDef};
 pub use pipeline::uniforms::Uniforms;
@@ -69,7 +71,7 @@ pub struct DerivedCaches {
     pub local_extent_max: f32,
     pub hatches: HashMap<Handle, HatchModel>,
     pub images: HashMap<Handle, ImageModel>,
-    pub meshes: HashMap<Handle, MeshModel>,
+    pub meshes: HashMap<Handle, MeshLodSet>,
     /// Number of entities removed by the corrupt-entity guard during load.
     /// Reported back to the UI so the user knows when a file had parser-junk
     /// entities silently dropped.
@@ -177,7 +179,7 @@ pub fn build_derived_caches(doc: &CadDocument) -> DerivedCaches {
         .collect();
 
     // meshes (parallel tessellation)
-    let meshes: HashMap<Handle, MeshModel> = mesh_handles
+    let meshes: HashMap<Handle, MeshLodSet> = mesh_handles
         .par_iter()
         .filter_map(|&handle| {
             let e = doc.get_entity(handle)?;
@@ -414,7 +416,7 @@ pub struct Scene {
     /// Cached image models, keyed by geometry_epoch.
     image_cache: RefCell<Option<(u64, Arc<Vec<ImageModel>>)>>,
     /// Cached mesh models, keyed by geometry_epoch.
-    mesh_cache: RefCell<Option<(u64, Arc<Vec<MeshModel>>)>>,
+    mesh_cache: RefCell<Option<(u64, Arc<Vec<MeshLodSet>>)>>,
     /// Per-viewport wire cache for paper-space rendering.
     /// Maps vp_handle → (geometry_epoch, Arc<Vec<WireModel>>).
     viewport_wire_cache: RefCell<HashMap<Handle, (u64, Arc<Vec<WireModel>>)>>,
@@ -436,7 +438,7 @@ pub struct Scene {
     /// GPU render data for hatch fills, keyed by the DXF entity Handle.
     pub hatches: HashMap<Handle, HatchModel>,
     /// GPU render data for solid meshes (truck Shell/Solid tessellation).
-    pub meshes: HashMap<Handle, MeshModel>,
+    pub meshes: HashMap<Handle, MeshLodSet>,
     /// GPU render data for raster images (RasterImage entities), keyed by handle.
     pub images: HashMap<Handle, ImageModel>,
     /// The viewport that is currently "entered" (MSPACE mode).
@@ -1097,7 +1099,7 @@ impl Scene {
         arc
     }
 
-    pub(super) fn meshes_arc(&self) -> Arc<Vec<MeshModel>> {
+    pub(super) fn meshes_arc(&self) -> Arc<Vec<MeshLodSet>> {
         {
             let cache = self.mesh_cache.borrow();
             if let Some((cached_epoch, ref arc)) = *cache {
@@ -3163,12 +3165,18 @@ impl Scene {
                 let dx = (new[0] - old[0]) as f32;
                 let dy = (new[1] - old[1]) as f32;
                 let dz = (new[2] - old[2]) as f32;
-                if let Some(mesh) = self.meshes.get_mut(&handle) {
+                if let Some(set) = self.meshes.get_mut(&handle) {
-                    for v in &mut mesh.verts {
+                    for lod in &mut set.lods {
-                        v[0] += dx;
+                        for v in &mut lod.verts {
-                        v[1] += dy;
+                            v[0] += dx;
-                        v[2] += dz;
+                            v[1] += dy;
+                            v[2] += dz;
+                        }
                     }
+                    set.world_aabb[0] += dx;
+                    set.world_aabb[1] += dy;
+                    set.world_aabb[2] += dx;
+                    set.world_aabb[3] += dy;
                 }
             }
         }

src/scene/pipeline/mesh_gpu.rs

@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 //                                ------
 //                                 40 B / vertex
 
-use crate::scene::mesh_model::MeshModel;
+use crate::scene::mesh_model::{MeshLodSet, MeshModel};
 use iced::wgpu;
 use iced::wgpu::util::DeviceExt;
 
@@ -55,6 +55,27 @@ pub struct MeshGpu {
     pub index_count: u32,
 }
 
+/// GPU-side bundle of MeshLodSet — one MeshGpu per available LOD plus
+/// the world-XY AABB needed to pick a level per frame.
+pub struct MeshLodGpu {
+    pub lods: Vec<MeshGpu>,
+    pub world_aabb: [f32; 4],
+}
+
+impl MeshLodGpu {
+    pub fn new(device: &wgpu::Device, set: &MeshLodSet) -> Self {
+        Self {
+            lods: set
+                .lods
+                .iter()
+                .filter(|m| !m.indices.is_empty())
+                .map(|m| MeshGpu::new(device, m))
+                .collect(),
+            world_aabb: set.world_aabb,
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 impl MeshGpu {
     pub fn new(device: &wgpu::Device, mesh: &MeshModel) -> Self {
         let has_normals = mesh.normals.len() == mesh.verts.len();

src/scene/pipeline/mod.rs

@@ -12,14 +12,14 @@ use iced::{Rectangle, Size};
 pub use face3d_gpu::Face3DGpu;
 pub use hatch_gpu::HatchGpu;
 pub use image_gpu::ImageGpu;
-pub use mesh_gpu::MeshGpu;
+pub use mesh_gpu::MeshLodGpu;
 pub use uniforms::Uniforms;
 pub use viewcube::ViewCubePipeline;
 pub use wire_gpu::WireGpu;
 
 use crate::scene::hatch_model::HatchModel;
 use crate::scene::image_model::ImageModel;
-use crate::scene::mesh_model::MeshModel;
+use crate::scene::mesh_model::MeshLodSet;
 use crate::scene::wire_model::WireModel;
 
 /// MSAA sample count for the main drawing pipelines.
@@ -70,7 +70,11 @@ pub struct Pipeline {
     gpu_images: Vec<ImageGpu>,
     /// Pixel scissor rects [x, y, w, h] for viewport-clipped images. Recomputed each frame.
     image_pixel_scissors: Vec<Option<[u32; 4]>>,
-    gpu_meshes: Vec<MeshGpu>,
+    gpu_meshes: Vec<MeshLodGpu>,
+    /// Per-mesh LOD level (0=high, 1=mid, 2=low) picked each frame from
+    /// the projected pixel diagonal. Mirrors `hatch_pixel_scissors` —
+    /// recomputed in `compute_mesh_lod`.
+    mesh_lod_levels: Vec<usize>,
     /// Batched 3DFACE fill (all faces in one buffer) and edges (merged wire).
     gpu_face3d_fill: Option<Face3DGpu>,
     gpu_face3d_edges: Vec<WireGpu>,
@@ -607,6 +611,7 @@ impl Pipeline {
             gpu_images: vec![],
             image_pixel_scissors: vec![],
             gpu_meshes: vec![],
+            mesh_lod_levels: vec![],
             gpu_face3d_fill: None,
             gpu_face3d_edges: vec![],
             viewcube,
@@ -697,11 +702,23 @@ impl Pipeline {
         self.gpu_face3d_edges = WireGpu::from_batch(device, face3d_wires);
     }
 
-    pub fn upload_meshes(&mut self, device: &wgpu::Device, meshes: &[MeshModel]) {
+    pub fn upload_meshes(&mut self, device: &wgpu::Device, meshes: &[MeshLodSet]) {
         self.gpu_meshes = meshes
             .iter()
-            .filter(|m| !m.indices.is_empty())
+            .filter(|s| s.lods.iter().any(|m| !m.indices.is_empty()))
-            .map(|m| MeshGpu::new(device, m))
+            .map(|s| MeshLodGpu::new(device, s))
+            .collect();
+    }
+
+    /// Per-frame mesh LOD selector. Picks slot 0/1/2 based on the
+    /// projected pixel diagonal of each mesh's `world_aabb` (Phase 3.4
+    /// ladder: >200 px → 0, 50–200 → 1, <50 → 2). Falls back to the
+    /// nearest available lower slot when a level wasn't generated.
+    pub fn compute_mesh_lod(&mut self, view_proj: glam::Mat4, clip_w: u32, clip_h: u32) {
+        self.mesh_lod_levels = self
+            .gpu_meshes
+            .iter()
+            .map(|m| pick_mesh_lod(m, view_proj, clip_w, clip_h))
             .collect();
     }
 
@@ -887,12 +904,22 @@ impl Pipeline {
             pass.set_viewport(0.0, 0.0, vp.width as f32, vp.height as f32, 0.0, 1.0);
             pass.set_pipeline(&self.mesh_pipeline);
             pass.set_bind_group(0, &self.uniform_bind_group, &[]);
-            for mesh in &self.gpu_meshes {
+            for (i, set) in self.gpu_meshes.iter().enumerate() {
-                if mesh.index_count > 0 {
+                let level = self
-                    pass.set_vertex_buffer(0, mesh.vertex_buffer.slice(..));
+                    .mesh_lod_levels
-                    pass.set_index_buffer(mesh.index_buffer.slice(..), wgpu::IndexFormat::Uint32);
+                    .get(i)
-                    pass.draw_indexed(0..mesh.index_count, 0, 0..1);
+                    .copied()
+                    .unwrap_or(0)
+                    .min(set.lods.len().saturating_sub(1));
+                let Some(mesh) = set.lods.get(level) else {
+                    continue;
+                };
+                if mesh.index_count == 0 {
+                    continue;
                 }
+                pass.set_vertex_buffer(0, mesh.vertex_buffer.slice(..));
+                pass.set_index_buffer(mesh.index_buffer.slice(..), wgpu::IndexFormat::Uint32);
+                pass.draw_indexed(0..mesh.index_count, 0, 0..1);
             }
         }
 
@@ -1184,6 +1211,70 @@ impl Pipeline {
     }
 }
 
+/// Project a mesh's `world_aabb` and pick a LOD slot:
+///   diagonal > 200 px → 0 (HIGH)
+///   diagonal 50–200 px → 1 (MID)
+///   diagonal < 50 px   → 2 (LOW)
+/// When the picked slot is missing from `gpu_meshes[i].lods`, walks down
+/// to the next available coarser/finer level so the mesh always renders.
+fn pick_mesh_lod(
+    mesh: &MeshLodGpu,
+    view_proj: glam::Mat4,
+    clip_w: u32,
+    clip_h: u32,
+) -> usize {
+    let diag_px = aabb_diagonal_pixels(mesh.world_aabb, view_proj, clip_w, clip_h);
+    let target = if diag_px > 200.0 {
+        0
+    } else if diag_px > 50.0 {
+        1
+    } else {
+        2
+    };
+    // Walk down to nearest available LOD (some entities won't have all 3).
+    for level in (0..=target).rev() {
+        if mesh.lods.get(level).is_some() {
+            return level;
+        }
+    }
+    0
+}
+
+fn aabb_diagonal_pixels(
+    aabb: [f32; 4],
+    view_proj: glam::Mat4,
+    clip_w: u32,
+    clip_h: u32,
+) -> f32 {
+    let [x0, y0, x1, y1] = aabb;
+    if !x0.is_finite() || !y0.is_finite() || !x1.is_finite() || !y1.is_finite() {
+        return f32::INFINITY;
+    }
+    let w = clip_w as f32;
+    let h = clip_h as f32;
+    let corners = [
+        view_proj.project_point3(glam::Vec3::new(x0, y0, 0.0)),
+        view_proj.project_point3(glam::Vec3::new(x1, y0, 0.0)),
+        view_proj.project_point3(glam::Vec3::new(x0, y1, 0.0)),
+        view_proj.project_point3(glam::Vec3::new(x1, y1, 0.0)),
+    ];
+    let mut min_px = f32::INFINITY;
+    let mut max_px = f32::NEG_INFINITY;
+    let mut min_py = f32::INFINITY;
+    let mut max_py = f32::NEG_INFINITY;
+    for c in &corners {
+        let px = (c.x + 1.0) * 0.5 * w;
+        let py = (1.0 - c.y) * 0.5 * h;
+        if px < min_px { min_px = px; }
+        if px > max_px { max_px = px; }
+        if py < min_py { min_py = py; }
+        if py > max_py { max_py = py; }
+    }
+    let dx = max_px - min_px;
+    let dy = max_py - min_py;
+    (dx * dx + dy * dy).sqrt()
+}
+
 /// Return `true` when the world-XY AABB's screen-space size is below the
 /// given pixel threshold. Used by LOD passes (hatch skip, etc.) to drop
 /// draw calls that wouldn't contribute a visible pixel.

src/scene/render.rs

@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ use std::sync::Arc;
 use super::pipeline::viewcube::{hover_id, VIEWCUBE_PX};
 use super::pipeline::Pipeline;
 use super::tessellate;
-use super::{HatchModel, ImageModel, MeshModel, Scene, Uniforms, WireModel};
+use super::{HatchModel, ImageModel, MeshLodSet, Scene, Uniforms, WireModel};
 
 // ── PaperViewportPipeline / PaperViewportPrimitive ────────────────────────
 //
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ pub struct Primitive {
     /// Wipeout fills — rendered in a separate pass AFTER wires.
     pub(super) wipeout_hatches: Arc<Vec<HatchModel>>,
     pub(super) images: Arc<Vec<ImageModel>>,
-    pub(super) meshes: Arc<Vec<MeshModel>>,
+    pub(super) meshes: Arc<Vec<MeshLodSet>>,
     pub(super) uniforms: Uniforms,
     /// Camera rotation matrix derived from the quaternion.
     /// Used by the ViewCube pipeline — no gimbal lock.
@@ -148,6 +148,7 @@ impl shader::Primitive for Primitive {
         pipeline.compute_wipeout_scissors(self.uniforms.view_proj, clip_size.width, clip_size.height);
         pipeline.compute_image_scissors(self.uniforms.view_proj, clip_size.width, clip_size.height);
         pipeline.compute_hatch_lod(self.uniforms.view_proj, clip_size.width, clip_size.height);
+        pipeline.compute_mesh_lod(self.uniforms.view_proj, clip_size.width, clip_size.height);
         if self.show_viewcube {
             pipeline.viewcube.upload(
                 queue,

src/scene/solid3d_tess.rs

@@ -20,18 +20,54 @@ use acadrust::entities::acis::{
 };
 use acadrust::entities::{Body, Region, Solid3D};
 
-use crate::scene::mesh_model::MeshModel;
+use crate::scene::mesh_model::{MeshLodSet, MeshModel};
 
-// Number of arc segments per full circle for curved surface sampling.
+/// Per-LOD sampling density. Higher values = finer mesh = more triangles.
-const CIRC_SEGS: usize = 48;
+#[derive(Copy, Clone, Debug)]
-// Grid resolution for sphere / torus latitude / longitude subdivision.
+pub struct LodConfig {
-const GRID_U: usize = 32;
+    /// Arc segments per full circle for curved-surface sampling.
-const GRID_V: usize = 16;
+    pub circ_segs: usize,
+    /// Longitudinal grid count for sphere / torus surfaces.
+    pub grid_u: usize,
+    /// Latitudinal grid count for sphere / torus surfaces.
+    pub grid_v: usize,
+}
+
+impl LodConfig {
+    /// LOD 0 — full resolution. The pre-Phase-3.4 baseline.
+    pub const HIGH: LodConfig = LodConfig {
+        circ_segs: 48,
+        grid_u: 32,
+        grid_v: 16,
+    };
+    /// LOD 1 — half-resolution. Use between ~50–200 px projected diagonal.
+    pub const MID: LodConfig = LodConfig {
+        circ_segs: 24,
+        grid_u: 16,
+        grid_v: 8,
+    };
+    /// LOD 2 — quarter-resolution. Use below ~50 px.
+    pub const LOW: LodConfig = LodConfig {
+        circ_segs: 12,
+        grid_u: 8,
+        grid_v: 4,
+    };
+    /// Returns the three LOD configs in `[high, mid, low]` order — matches
+    /// the `MeshLodSet::lods` slot ordering.
+    pub const fn all() -> [LodConfig; 3] {
+        [Self::HIGH, Self::MID, Self::LOW]
+    }
+}
 
 // ── Public entry point ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
 /// Tessellate a SAT document into mesh buffers — shared by all ACIS entities.
-fn tessellate_sat(sat: &SatDocument, name: String, color: [f32; 4]) -> Option<MeshModel> {
+fn tessellate_sat(
+    sat: &SatDocument,
+    name: String,
+    color: [f32; 4],
+    lod: LodConfig,
+) -> Option<MeshModel> {
     let mut verts: Vec<[f32; 3]> = Vec::new();
     let mut normals: Vec<[f32; 3]> = Vec::new();
     let mut indices: Vec<u32> = Vec::new();
@@ -49,17 +85,17 @@ fn tessellate_sat(sat: &SatDocument, name: String, color: [f32; 4]) -> Option<Me
             }
             "cone-surface" => {
                 if let Some(cone) = SatConeSurface::from_record(surf_rec) {
-                    tess_cone_face(sat, &face, &cone, &mut verts, &mut normals, &mut indices);
+                    tess_cone_face(sat, &face, &cone, lod, &mut verts, &mut normals, &mut indices);
                 }
             }
             "sphere-surface" => {
                 if let Some(sphere) = SatSphereSurface::from_record(surf_rec) {
-                    tess_sphere_face(&sphere, &mut verts, &mut normals, &mut indices);
+                    tess_sphere_face(&sphere, lod, &mut verts, &mut normals, &mut indices);
                 }
             }
             "torus-surface" => {
                 if let Some(torus) = SatTorusSurface::from_record(surf_rec) {
-                    tess_torus_face(&torus, &mut verts, &mut normals, &mut indices);
+                    tess_torus_face(&torus, lod, &mut verts, &mut normals, &mut indices);
                 }
             }
             _ => {}
@@ -78,6 +114,46 @@ fn tessellate_sat(sat: &SatDocument, name: String, color: [f32; 4]) -> Option<Me
     })
 }
 
+/// Tessellate a SAT document at all three LODs and bundle them into a
+/// `MeshLodSet` ready for the render pipeline to pick a level per frame.
+fn tessellate_sat_lods(
+    sat: &SatDocument,
+    name: String,
+    color: [f32; 4],
+) -> Option<MeshLodSet> {
+    let configs = LodConfig::all();
+    let mut lods: Vec<MeshModel> = Vec::with_capacity(3);
+    for lod in configs {
+        if let Some(m) = tessellate_sat(sat, name.clone(), color, lod) {
+            lods.push(m);
+        }
+    }
+    if lods.is_empty() {
+        return None;
+    }
+    let world_aabb = mesh_aabb(&lods[0]);
+    Some(MeshLodSet { lods, world_aabb })
+}
+
+/// World-XY AABB of the mesh — used by the render-pipeline LOD selector
+/// to pick a level based on projected pixel diagonal.
+fn mesh_aabb(mesh: &MeshModel) -> [f32; 4] {
+    let mut min_x = f32::INFINITY;
+    let mut min_y = f32::INFINITY;
+    let mut max_x = f32::NEG_INFINITY;
+    let mut max_y = f32::NEG_INFINITY;
+    for &[x, y, _] in &mesh.verts {
+        if !x.is_finite() || !y.is_finite() {
+            continue;
+        }
+        if x < min_x { min_x = x; }
+        if y < min_y { min_y = y; }
+        if x > max_x { max_x = x; }
+        if y > max_y { max_y = y; }
+    }
+    [min_x, min_y, max_x, max_y]
+}
+
 fn parse_acis(
     sat_fn: impl FnOnce() -> Option<SatDocument>,
     is_binary: bool,
@@ -92,40 +168,40 @@ fn parse_acis(
     None
 }
 
-/// Tessellate a `Region` entity (2D planar ACIS body) into a `MeshModel`.
+/// Tessellate a `Region` entity (2D planar ACIS body) at all three LOD levels.
-pub fn tessellate_region(region: &Region, color: [f32; 4]) -> Option<MeshModel> {
+pub fn tessellate_region(region: &Region, color: [f32; 4]) -> Option<MeshLodSet> {
     let sat = parse_acis(
         || region.parse_sat(),
         region.acis_data.is_binary,
         &region.acis_data.sab_data,
     )?;
     let name = region.common.handle.value().to_string();
-    tessellate_sat(&sat, name, color)
+    tessellate_sat_lods(&sat, name, color)
 }
 
-/// Tessellate a `Body` entity (3D ACIS body) into a `MeshModel`.
+/// Tessellate a `Body` entity (3D ACIS body) at all three LOD levels.
-pub fn tessellate_body(body: &Body, color: [f32; 4]) -> Option<MeshModel> {
+pub fn tessellate_body(body: &Body, color: [f32; 4]) -> Option<MeshLodSet> {
     let sat = parse_acis(
         || body.parse_sat(),
         body.acis_data.is_binary,
         &body.acis_data.sab_data,
     )?;
     let name = body.common.handle.value().to_string();
-    tessellate_sat(&sat, name, color)
+    tessellate_sat_lods(&sat, name, color)
 }
 
-/// Tessellate a `Solid3D` entity into a GPU-ready `MeshModel`.
+/// Tessellate a `Solid3D` entity at all three LOD levels.
 ///
 /// Returns `None` when the entity has no parseable SAT data or produces no
 /// triangles (e.g. the solid uses only unsupported surface types).
-pub fn tessellate_solid3d(solid: &Solid3D, color: [f32; 4]) -> Option<MeshModel> {
+pub fn tessellate_solid3d(solid: &Solid3D, color: [f32; 4]) -> Option<MeshLodSet> {
     let sat = parse_acis(
         || solid.parse_sat(),
         solid.acis_data.is_binary,
         &solid.acis_data.sab_data,
     )?;
     let name = solid.common.handle.value().to_string();
-    tessellate_sat(&sat, name, color)
+    tessellate_sat_lods(&sat, name, color)
 }
 
 // ── Topology helpers ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
@@ -262,6 +338,7 @@ fn tess_cone_face(
     sat: &SatDocument,
     face: &SatFace,
     cone: &SatConeSurface,
+    lod: LodConfig,
     verts: &mut Vec<[f32; 3]>,
     normals: &mut Vec<[f32; 3]>,
     indices: &mut Vec<u32>,
@@ -285,8 +362,8 @@ fn tess_cone_face(
     let (h_min, h_max, theta_min, theta_max, full_circle) =
         angular_range(cx, cy, cz, axis, u_dir, v_dir, &poly);
 
-    let segs_u = CIRC_SEGS;
+    let segs_u = lod.circ_segs;
-    let segs_v = segs_u / 4; // height subdivisions
+    let segs_v = (segs_u / 4).max(1); // height subdivisions
 
     let theta_span = if full_circle {
         TAU
@@ -416,6 +493,7 @@ fn angular_range(
 
 fn tess_sphere_face(
     sphere: &SatSphereSurface,
+    lod: LodConfig,
     verts: &mut Vec<[f32; 3]>,
     normals: &mut Vec<[f32; 3]>,
     indices: &mut Vec<u32>,
@@ -428,8 +506,8 @@ fn tess_sphere_face(
     let u_dir = norm3([ux, uy, uz]);
     let v_dir = cross3(pole, u_dir);
 
-    let nu = GRID_U;
+    let nu = lod.grid_u.max(3);
-    let nv = GRID_V;
+    let nv = lod.grid_v.max(2);
 
     for j in 0..nv {
         let phi0 = std::f64::consts::PI * (j as f64 / nv as f64); // 0..π
@@ -481,6 +559,7 @@ fn sphere_dir(pole: [f64; 3], u_dir: [f64; 3], v_dir: [f64; 3], theta: f64, phi:
 
 fn tess_torus_face(
     torus: &SatTorusSurface,
+    lod: LodConfig,
     verts: &mut Vec<[f32; 3]>,
     normals: &mut Vec<[f32; 3]>,
     indices: &mut Vec<u32>,
@@ -494,8 +573,8 @@ fn tess_torus_face(
     let major_r = torus.major_radius();
     let minor_r = torus.minor_radius();
 
-    let nu = GRID_U; // around the tube
+    let nu = lod.grid_u.max(3); // around the tube
-    let nv = GRID_V; // around the torus
+    let nv = lod.grid_v.max(3); // around the torus
 
     for j in 0..nv {
         let phi0 = TAU * (j as f64 / nv as f64);